VESPERS ON SUNDAY EVENING

Kathisma Reading

There are no appointed psalms to be chanted tonight.

At Psalm 140

Tone 1

If You mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand?* But with You forgiveness is that You may be revered.

In Your goodness, О Lord,* You brought all things about by Your Word and Spirit,* and also created me a reason-endowed living thing,* that I might glorify Your omnipotent name.* But, more than any, I ever act dishonourably by my shameful deeds;* yet have pity on me, I pray.

I have waited for You as You have commanded; my soul patiently relies on Your promise,* for it has trusted in the Lord.

I recognize your divine nobility and the incorrupt homeland, О wretched soul,* and I ever strive to attain them by goodly deeds.* Let all that is corrupt never captivate me.* You are my higher part, while the body is earth and corrupts.* Let not what is baser overcome that which is higher.

From the morning watch until night* let Israel trust in the Lord.

Go to the Supremely good One, О all-accursed soul;* approach Him with fervent tears;* before your condemnation confess all things that you have done;* and render your Creator merciful to you, О wretched one.* Beg forgiveness, lest the Lord shut the door to you.

Tone 4, Podoben “As among the martyrs…”

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him there is plentiful redemption;* and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Bound with chains, immured in prison,* given as food for wild beasts, hung aloft and mangled,* yet, receiving divine help from heaven, you remained unshaken* through the love of the Master and Saviour of all,* O most wise Carpus and Papylus.

Praise the Lord, all the nations;* proclaim His glory, all you people.

Grounding your thought through wisdom on the rock of faith, O steadfast martyr Papylus,* you rejoiced when you were stoned,* likening yourself to the divine leader of martyrs, the archdeacon Stephen,* as a minister and servant of the mysteries of God,* as one numbered among the martyrs* and a converser with angels.

Strong is the love of the Lord for us;* eternally will His truth endure.

Unswervingly walking the path of witness, your feet nailed to iron sandals,* you steadfastly destroyed the sting of the enemy and destroyer, O all-praised ones,* and were crowned with victories.* Therefore, all the Church of Christ celebrates* your holy, luminous, and renowned commemoration.

Tone 6, Glory…

In that you were worthy among godly seers, O venerable one,* you beheld the heavens opened, and the Lord seated upon the throne,* and the cherubim and seraphim round about Him;* and we, your sacred flock, enlightened by you, O Carpus, cry out to you:* Ask for peace for the world and great mercy for our souls.

Tone 6, Now…

О Theotokos, who at the sound of the archangel’s voice* conceived in your womb the Word,* who with the Father and the Spirit is equally beginningless,* you have been revealed to be more exalted than the cherubim, seraphim, and thrones.

Prokeimenon, Tone 8

And now bless the Lord,* all you servants of the Lord.

verse: Who stand in the temple of the Lord, in the courtyards of the house of our God.

Aposticha

Tone 1

Great is the abyss of my many transgressions, О Saviour,* and I sink grievously because of my offenses.* Grant me Your hand, as You did to Peter, О God.* Save me and have mercy upon me!

I have lifted up my eyes to You enthroned in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters, as the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her mistress, so are our eyes on the Lord our God until He has mercy on us.

In that I have been condemned for wicked thoughts and deeds, О Saviour,* grant me the thought of returning to You, О God,* that I may cry aloud: Save me, О good Benefactor,* and have mercy upon me!

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for we have been filled with shame; our soul is all too full of the mockery of the rich, of the contempt of the proud.

Through the prayers of all the saints and the Theotokos,* О Lord, grant us Your peace,* and have mercy upon us,* in that You alone are compassionate.

Glory… Now…

Joy of the ranks of heaven,* and mighty intercession for mankind on earth, O most pure Virgin:* save us who have recourse to you,* for in you, after God,* have we placed our hope, O Theotokos.

Troparia

Tone 4

O Lord our God, Your holy martyrs* have deserved the crown of immortality* on account of their good fight.* Armed with Your strength, they have vanquished their persecutors* and crushed Satan’s dreadful might.* Through their supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.

Glory… Now…

To the One who was reared in the Temple,* close to the Holy of Holies,* and who was full of faith, wisdom, and perfect virginity,* Gabriel, the captain and leader,* offered esteem and greetings from heaven when he said:* Rejoice, O blessed One! Rejoice, O glorified One!* The Lord is with you.

DIVINE LITURGY ON MONDAY MORNING

Troparia and Kontakia

Troparion, Tone 4: O Lord our God, Your holy martyrs* have deserved the crown of immortality* on account of their good fight.* Armed with Your strength, they have vanquished their persecutors* and crushed Satan’s dreadful might.* Through their supplications, O Christ our God, save our souls.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone 4: The Master has given us your relics* as a treasure of great value and a fountain of health.* This is how He removes the pain of suffering;* this is how He gives grace to our souls.* So all together we celebrate your feast, O martyrs.

Prokeimenon, Tone 4

To the saints who are in His land, the Lord has made wonderful all His desires in them.

verse: I foresaw the Lord in my sight, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken. (Psalm 15:3,8)

Epistle

Philippians 1:1-7

Alleluia, Tone 4

verse: The just cried out and the Lord heard them, and delivered them out of their afflictions.

verse: The afflictions of the just are many, and out of them all will the Lord deliver them. (Psalm 33:18,20)

Gospel

Luke 4:37-44

Communion Hymn

Rejoice in the Lord, O you just;* praise befits the righteous.* Alleluia, alleluia,* alleluia. (Psalm 32:1)